The Basics of Alchemy
by DeceptionAlchemist7
Summary: Hogwarts is in danger. Dumbledore needs all the help he can get. When he arrives at Central, looking for an Alchemy teacher; Ed would've have never expected it to be him. Would he have to believe in magic now to make this work? During Harrys' 5th year.
1. Chapter 1

_Deception: _Hello, welcome to my first chapter of 'The Basics of Alchemy' -waves- Oh, and just to let you know, Ed is 17, but still short for his age ^^

_Ed:_ Who are you calling _short?!_-anime vein-

_Deception:_ Uh, I didn't say short, I said...uh, tall, _very _tall! -nervous laugh- ^^'

_Ed:_ Uh-huh, sure, but whatever, I believe you

_Deception:_ Would you care to do the honors, Ed?

_Ed: _Sure, Deception-chan does not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Harry Potter, as much as she wishes

* * *

Edward Elric was walking down the hallways of Central Headquarters, wasting precious Philosopher's Stone-searching time, wondering what that idiot Colonel wanted. Once he reached the white wooden door that was the Colonels', he entered, not even bothering to knock.

"What do you want, Colonel, we can't just be called in like-" Ed started to say, but stopped abruptly when he saw another person in the room. He seemed to be some sort of foreigner, because he dressed in a way that was unrecognizable. He had long, silver hair combined with a beard, wearing half-moon spectacles on his -what appeared to be- crooked nose. His clothing was a long velvet robe; and he also had some kind of stick-shaped thing in his hand, Ed couldn't figure out what it was. _'Who the heck is this guy?' _thought Ed, giving the stranger an odd look. Roy was the one to interrupt the silence.

"Well, as you might have figured out, Ed, we have a special guest here." said Roy. Ed just gave the Colonel an 'I already know that, smart one' look. The stranger was the next to talk.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." introduced Dumbledore, giving Ed and small smile. _'Okay, what the hell is Mustang up to?-Wait did he just say 'witchcraft and wizardry'?' _As Ed was reassuring himself that he said something else, Mustang spoke up.

"Well, don't be rude, Fullmetal, introduce yourself," said Mustang, smirking and how Ed looked at Dumbledore with wide eyes. Ed looked at Mustang, giving him a slight glare, but immediately turned his attention back to the headmaster.

"Hello, my name is Edward Elric, also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist," mumbled Ed, not even bothering to walk up to him to shake his hand. "And did you just say 'witchcraft and wizardry'?" As Ed was hoping he would say no, Dumbledore gave him an amused smile. This just made Ed's head tilt a little to the side. _'This guy needs a one-way ticket to the asylum, cause I don't know how me asking that is funny'_

"You don't believe in magic, do you Edward?" asked Dumbledore, still wearing that amused look on his face. This made Ed scoff at the word 'magic'.

"I sure as hell don't believe in magic, the only thing 'magic' around here is the magic of science, which isn't actually magic at all," said Ed, crossing his arms over his chest, chuckling to him self that this guy here _does_ believe in magic.

"Well, then how about I just show you some magic then," said Dumbledore, raising his wand, then moved while muttering an incantation. Then, out of now where, Ed was floating in mid-air, head turning in all directions.

"Hey! Get me the hell down, old man! This isn't funny!" shouted Ed, trying to make himself land on the ground using gravity. It didn't work. Mustang was chuckling at the scene he saw before him, yet secretly amazed at the same time.

"Well, look at the bright side, Ed, at least you look taller," said the Colonel, still laughing. Ed really didn't appreciate the comment.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE HIM YOU _JERK!" _yelled Ed, while his arms and legs were moving furiously around, which made the scene much more amusing to Mustang. Oh, how the Colonel loved to torture Fullmetal. And, without warning, Ed felt the gravity pull him back down, causing him land on his back. Ed never realized how _hard _these floors could be. With a low groan of pain, Ed got up, rubbing his back.

"Okay, fine, I believe you, but never, _never, _do that again," warned Ed, still rubbing his back. Ed couldn't explain what just happened to him using science, but he still doesn't believe in magic, but is a bit more open-minded to the idea. Dumbledore nodded in agreement to what Ed said while putting away his wand.

"Well, other than wanting to see me float in mid-air, why did you call me in Colonel?" sneered Ed, sitting down on one of the couches that was in Mustangs' office to sooth his back. But as Ed sat down, Roy stood up.

"Professor Dumbledore needs an Alchemy teacher for his school," explained Roy, gesturing to said professor.

"An Alchemy teacher, huh? What for?" asked Ed, putting his hands behind his head. The look of fear returned to Dumbledore's eyes, but with a hint of anger in it also, but it wasn't noticeable.

"Because, our school is in danger of something terrible, and the new 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' teacher will undoubtedly not teach the kids how to properly defend themselves, so we need some other way to teach the students proper defense if they don't have a wand," explained Dumbledore. _'They want me to teach students alchemy?!"_

"Why can't you get some other state alchemist to do this?" asked Ed, who was now standing up. Roy just gave Ed an annoyed/tired look.

"Because, Fullmetal, you are the most talented alchemist here and we could use people like Dumbledore in our military," answered Mustang, rubbing his temples with his gloved hand.

"Oh, so this is what it's about, getting more people turned into 'dogs of the military', thanks but no thanks, Colonel," Ed said, who was beginning to walk out of the room.

"Edward! Get back here!" commanded Mustang, no trace of amusement in his voice. Using his better judgement, Ed turned around and retraced his steps back.

"You will do as your superior tells you and I say you will be Hogwarts' new Alchemy teacher!" concluded Mustang with a voice that warned Ed to retort back at him. With a sigh of defeat, Ed gave up.

"Ugh, fine Colonel, I'll be the new Alchemy teacher for this school," Ed said while his hand was scratching the back of his head. The Colonel and the Headmaster looked at each and gave each other a smile and a nod.

"But, I have a few questions for you, Professor," said Ed, looking at Dumbledore.

"All will be answered once we get to the castle," said Dumbledore. As Ed nodded, he then realized there was a small problem.

"Al! What about my brother!" exclaimed Ed. But before Ed could freak out some more, Dumbledore interrupted him.

"No need to worry, Edward, your brother is allowed to join us," reassured Dumbledore. But that wasn't Eds' concern, he was more concerned with the fact that Al was soul in a suit of armor. He was sure all the students will stare and ask questions, and Ed wasn't patient enough to deal with that.

"Thanks, but there's a slight problem wi-" Ed started to say but stopped when Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him.

"Colonel Mustang has already told me about your younger brother, Edward, and don't worry, I have that taken care of already," Dumbledore said, giving Ed a smile. Ed didn't know what 'I have that taken care of already' meant, but he trusted him for some reason. But then Ed realized if Mustang told him about Al, then he must have...

"So, did Mustang tell you about..." Ed trailed off, gesturing to his right arm. Dumbledore wore a knowing expression giving Ed his answer.

"Yes, I know, but I promise you, I'm not one to talk about others' personal lives," said Dumbledore. With a silent sigh of relief, Ed gave Dumbledore a small smile, first one that was actually genuine for the day. Ed _definitely _didn't want to explain how he got his automail and how Al got his suit of armor to anyone, not even the headmaster.

"Good, so when do we leave?" asked Ed, still not happy about having to postpone his search for the Stone, but didn't show it because he'd probably get a lecture from Mustang.

"Well, how about in a week so we can get the supplies you need for your class, such as books and chalk and other miscellaneous items,"suggested Dumbledore, happy that Ed agreed to come.

"Sure...hang on, where exactly is this Hogwarts?"asked Ed, never having heard about the school's location.

"Oh, it's in a country named Scotland, but no muggles can see it since it's charmed, but I guess you'll be the exception; see you in a week, _Professor _Elric," answered Dumbledore. And with that, he left, but he didn't go through the door. Oh no, he just _disappeared._ _'This Dumbledore guy is very strange-wait where the hell is Scotland and what's a muggle?!' _thought Ed, staring at the spot where Dumbledore just was. Right after the headmaster left, Roy slumped in his chair, tired after todays' events.

"Well, Fullmetal, I guess this will be your assignment for now; just don't try to get yourself killed or some how get the school blown up, this could be very important for us." yawned Mustang, closing his eyes.

"Yeah whatever, Colonel; but let me ask you a question, do you honestly believe in magic after what he showed you?" asked Ed, who was standing in front of the Colonel. Roy lazily opened his eyes and gave Ed his answer.

"After what I saw, I guess I can't deny that there is magic in this world, but for now, I'll leave the answer as a maybe," said Mustang, who again closed his eyes, obviously thinking hard about the topic of 'magic'. _'Typical of Mustang, never giving me a straight answer'_ thought Ed as he started to walk out of the room.

"Oh, and Fullmetal," started Roy, seeing Ed leaving. Ed turned around, wondering what he wanted _now_. "Send monthly reports on this school, okay?" With a grunt that meant 'Sure', Ed left the room, leaving an exhausted Roy to his thoughts.

Now Ed has something new to worry about: telling his brother that they have to leave to teach Alchemy at some magic school instead of looking for the Philosopher's Stone. As Ed walked back to his assigned room, he was thinking of how he should tell his brother, each idea as stupid as the next. _'Hey Al, guess what? The Colonel ordered us to go to some magic school in Scotland and teach Alchemy to kids-NO! That's just terrible!'_ Ed felt a huge headache coming on and wanted to kick something or some_one _to be more accurate. Rubbing his temples, Ed entered his room, still not able to put his explanation into proper words. He found Al sitting on one of the beds, reading. He lifted his armor head to see his brother, but looked worried since Ed looked like he had something important to tell. Oh, Al you have _no_ idea.

"What's the matter Brother, the Colonel give you a hard time?" asked Al, putting a bookmark in his book and closed it. Ed just walked toward the bed Al was on and sat on it as well.

"Al, we have a new assignment, and it's not like the ones we usually get," Ed started off, hoping he could explain the rest properly.

* * *

_Deception: _Yay! -throws confetti into air- first chapter done with! -wipes imaginary sweat off- Hope it wasn't too short and that my OCD-ish behavior about spelling came handy

_Ed: _Hey you got confetti in my hair! -shakes head-

_Deception: _Oh, sorry Ed ^^' -helps remove confetti-

_Ed: _Thanks -puts arm around Deception's shoulder-

_Deception: _-blushes- Your welcome; anyways, time to say goodbye!

_Ed & Deception: _Thank you for reading and have a nice day/night/ whenever you read this! :) (Oh, and whoever knows what incantation made Ed float, will get a special mention in my story, trust me there is a spell for this in Harry Potter. Hint: It's in the first HP movie)


	2. Chapter 2

_Deception: _Hello again, and welcome to my second chapter of 'The Basics of Alchemy' -waves- Say hi Ed!

_Ed: _-waves- Hello, people...uh, Deception-chan?

_Deception:_ Yeah, Ed?

_Ed: _You forgot to mention something -shows Deception-chan index card-

_Deception: _-reads index card-....Oh! Yeah, thank you 'Zero Panda' and 'the guy with a gun' for their answers from the question in the last chapter; okay Ed, read your line -gives Ed index card-

_Ed: _Thanks -takes index card and reads- Deception-chan does not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Harry Potter, as much as she wishes

* * *

"Brother, what do you want to tell me?," asked Alphonse, concern in his voice. As Ed was trying to explain to Al, he was stuttering with every other word. _'Why is Brother acting like this, he's never looked so worked _up' thought Al, his attention on Edward. _'Okay Edward, you can do this, just word everything right and make sure you don't pass out from this migraine' _thought Ed, taking a deep breath to clear his mind.

"Okay, Al, well you see, this guy named Albus Dumbledore, which is a headmaster of this magic school called Hogwarts, and he asked me to be a teacher there and I said yes," Ed answered quickly, but slow enough that Al could decipher what Ed told him. Al paused for a few seconds, registering the information that he had just been told. _'Hogwarts...Dumbledore...teach Alchemy...magic?' _Al couldn't believe what his brother just said. _'I thought Brother didn't believe in magic?'_

"But Brother...what about the-" Al started to say, but Ed interrupted him.

"The Stone; yeah I know, Al...I guess we have to halt it, I can't back out of this, Mustang's orders," Ed said, scratching the back of his head in annoyance/confusion.

"When we go to this...Hogwarts place...wouldn't people ask questions about me wearing a suit of armor everyday?" asked Al, who, like Ed, didn't want to explain his situation to anyone.

"Well, the headmaster said he'd 'take care of it' but that's all I know," replied Ed, his head feeling a lot better now. Until Al asked his next question.

"But, Brother, since when did you believe in magic?" asked Al, not knowing that Ed can't even answer that himself. As Ed was contemplating what to say, he decided to go with what Mustang said.

"Well, I'm not saying yes and I'm not saying no, I'm just a bit more open-minded to the idea that magic is out there," Ed said, happy with his response. _'Hopefully that was vague enough to not be a yes or a no' _thought Ed as he laid his back on the bed and closed his eyes, legs dangling over edge of the bed. His back was still a little sore, which was a reminder that magic can exist. '_Why couldn't it have been Mustang to float in mid-air and land on his back' _Ed thought, imagining that very scene; which made him smirk. As Ed was just lying there, Al just stared at his Brother still confused about this situation.

"Brother...when do we leave?" asked Al.

"In one week, until then we could just stay here and look in the Central library for notes we could use for the class," replied Ed, feeling weird at saying the word 'class'. Ed remembered the last words Dumbledore said to him: '_Professor _Elric'. At first he was just Edward Elric; then he was Edward Elric, the _Fullmetal Alchemist_; now he was Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist and _now _Alchemy professor of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Ed had too many names. He needed some rest since his headache was coming back. Ed got up from his position and stripped down to his usual sleepwear: boxers and a t-shirt. Al decided to leave the room while Ed slept, and went to ask Mustang about this. Hopefully Ed can forget about this and get a good amount of sleep. But while Ed slept, he saw images of Hogwarts, him teaching people and people performing magic.

When Ed got up, he changed into his usual outfit and went to go look for his brother. Ed found Al in the Central library, who was already writing down notes from various Alchemy books that were on the table. Ed walked up to Al, but Al didn't turn to see him; apparently he's too busy to hear anything. Ed could have some fun with this. Ed was sneaking up behind Al , then he shouted out: "Hey Al!" This made Al jump out of his seat with a yelp and knocked papers and books off the table. As Ed was laughing, Al was picking up what he knocked down and muttered, "Not funny Brother..." Once Ed stopped laughing, he looked at how much Al wrote and let out a low whistle.

"Wow, Al, someones an over achiever, but how about you take a break and let me work on this?" Ed said as he took a chair and sat down.

"Okay, Brother, I'll be right back," said Al as he walked away.

"Don't rush," Ed replied and soon got to work.

* * *

"Hey Harry, take a look at this," said Hermione, showing Harry the front page of the _Daily Prophet._ Harry put down his broom which he was polishing and looked at the front page. Harry saw a picture of a guy with a blond braid and was wearing an outfit that consists of the colors red and black. He then proceeded to read the article. The article talked about this strange thing called Alchemy and how it was going to be a new subject taught at Hogwarts; and the guy in the photo is named Edward Elric and that he was going to be the Alchemy professor. The article said he is seventeen years old. _'Wow, he's really young to be a professor' _Harry thought while reading. When he finished, he gave it back to Hermione.

"So, we'll be learning about Alchemy, but why?" asked Harry. Hermione just gave Harry an 'Isn't it obvious?' look.

"Well, what if you were battling some dark wizard and you lost your wand, wouldn't you want some other way to defend yourself?" answered Hermione, folding the _Daily Prophet _away. She'll have to cut that article out later...

"Guess that makes sense, especially now, since Voldemort is back," said Harry, not noticing that Hermione flinched at the name. "But what is Alchemy anyways?" asked Harry, since he's never heard of it before.

"Well, I'm not too sure, but I recall something in a book I read a few years ago that mentioned Alchemy as 'a science that deconstructs matter and turns it into something new' but that's all I know." said Hermione, not happy that she doesn't know a lot about it. This surprised Harry, usually Hermione knew everything about anything, but he guessed that will level the playing field in that class. But then again, Hermione is a fast learner. As Harry grabbed his broom again to restart his polishing, Hermione asked him for a pair of scissors.

"Why do you need a pair of scissors?" asked Harry, suspicious that the front page of the _Daily Prophet _had something to do with this. Hermione suddenly blushed and stuttered out "No reason" and ran off. Harry chuckled at this and muttered, "Lockhart all over again." Just then Ron came in, a confused look on his face.

"What's up with Hermione?; she hasn't let go of that newspaper all day," asked Ron, but tilted his head when Harry started chuckling.

"What's up with you two? Did I miss something?" asked Ron, afraid that he _did _miss something.

"Nothing Ron, don't worry about it; but did you hear that there teaching a new subject at Hogwarts?" said Harry, amusing himself with the thought of when Ron finds out Hermione fancies the new professor.

"Yeah, Hermione told me; Alchemy, what a weird subject," replied Ron, still feeling like he missed out on something. Don't worry Ron, you'll find out eventually.

* * *

While Ed was skimming through some books that he's at least re-read two times, his eyes stopped to see an unfamiliar name in one of the paragraphs.

"Nicolas Flamel," muttered Ed, repeating it in his mind while searching through the files of his brain to see if he's heard of it. Nothing came up. _'How strange' _thought Ed. He was pretty familiar with the book, but he's never seen this name before. Also he's never heard about him during his many travels. There wasn't much about him in the paragraph he was mentioned in, but for some reason, Ed thinks he must be very important. He wrote the name down on a piece of paper and stuffed the paper in his pocket. He'll look it up some other time. As Ed continued with his note writing, Al was sneaking up from behind Ed, trying to see if he can scare his older brother, and it seemed to be working. Right about when Al was about to shout out, Ed mumbled, "Hey Al", ruining Al's sneak attack.

"You're never any fun, Brother, you know that?" said Al, who now had his arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," smirked Ed. When Al took a seat next to Ed, he saw how much he wrote.

"Wow Ed, you can write fast," complemented Al, who had the papers Ed wrote on in his hands.

"It's a gift, I guess," shrugged Ed. _'Maybe I should ask Al if he knows anything on Flamel' _thought Ed. "Hey Al, does the name Nicolas Flamel ring any bells to you?" Al started to think of all the names he knew and Nicolas Flamel wasn't one of them.

"Sorry Brother, it doesn't; why, is he an important person we should know about?" asked Al.

"No, just wondering since he came up in one these Alchemy books," said Ed.

"Well, maybe they have books at Hogwarts that mention him," suggested Al.

"Maybe," Ed replied, hoping that the name Nicolas Flamel will not haunt him the entire day. It did.

* * *

_Deception: _Yay! Second chapter done with! ^-^

_Ed: -_pulls hood up-....What, no confetti?

_Deception: -_shrugs- Hmm, not this chapter, maybe the next one

_Ed: -_pulls hood off- Of course... -_-'

_Deception: _Anyways, for those who have reviewed/favorited/story-alerted a special thank you goes out to you guys; now it's time to say goodbye!

_Ed and Deception: _Thank you for reading and have nice day/ night/ whenever you read this! -waves-

(I think I'll do this every chapter, Okay; what month is Harrys' birthday? First one to answer right will be mentioned in my next chapter)


	3. Chapter 3

_Deception: _-waves- Hi peoples! Welcome to my third chapter of 'The Basics of Alchemy'!

_Ed: _-waves- Hi, and we would like to thank 'otogii', 'Andrea Perrigo', 'Lolmaster27', 'blackhawk68', 'Hina Kita', and 'Chasingyesterday' for answering correctly last chapter's question

_Deception: _And a big thank you to those who reviewed! Cookies for you all!

_Ed: _Uh, Deception-chan...we don't have any cookies...- looks away and wipes crumbs off mouth-

_Deception: _Aww -pouts- oh well...Ed you know the drill -walks off to look for cookies-

_Ed: _-sighs in relief- Deception-chan does not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist as much as she wishes...

* * *

As the next seven days passed, Ed and Al were usually found in Central library, working on items to be discussed during there stay at Hogwarts. Ed still found it weird that he going to be a teacher. _He's only seventeen for goodness sake! _Ed's never been one to obey authority, but now he _is _the authority. How ironic. Guess he'll just have to get used to it...

When Ed and Al finished their preparations, Ed decided to head to the cafeteria to get something to eat, since his stomach was growling really loud. After Ed got his food and was about to sit down and enjoy his meal, Jean Havoc came up to Ed and Al.

"Hey Edward, Mustang told me to tell you to get to his office now or 'face the consequences'," said Havoc. Ed just groaned in displeasure. _'Can I have just one moment of peace?'_ complained Ed internally.

"Sorry, Colonel's orders," said Havoc, who looked amused knowing how much discomfort this caused Ed. Having to throw away his untouched food, Ed trudged through the halls and walked into Roy's office, closely followed by Al. Having no patience, Ed just walked in to the room, only to feel a sense of déjà vu. Just like last week, Ed was surprised with the presence of Albus Dumbledore. Since Ed stopped without warning, Al accidentaly ran into Ed, which in turn made Ed fall flat on his face. As much as this scene was funny, the Colonel had to keep a straight face since he was in Dumbledore's presence. Once Ed brushed himself off, Roy cleared his throat, getting Ed's attention.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce your Brother?" said Mustang, smirking. '_As if you need to tell me, Mustang' _thought Ed as he gestured his arms towards Al.

"This is Alphonse Elric, my younger brother," introduced Ed through slightly gritted teeth, while giving Roy a slight glare. Oh how Ed hated Roy's tone of voice. Dumbledore simply smiled at Al, which was something new to Ed. _Huh, no 'Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?' or 'You're too short to be the older brother'_. Just a smile and an introduction of himself. Ed already liked this man alot more than he did last time they met. Then Al went up to shake his hand, something Ed didn't do. Al was always a bit more formal than his elder sibling.

"So you're the man Ed was talking about over the last week," said Al, as he and Dumbledore shook hands. Dumbledore nodded in agreement. After all the formalities were over, Roy spoke up again.

"So, are you two ready to be teachers?" asked Roy with a hint of teasing. Ed put a mock thoughtful on his face.

"You know after one week, I'd have to say..._NO_," replied Ed with a fake smile. But if he was actually serious about the answer, it would be...well, Ed couldn't really decide. Guess he'll figure out once he gets there.

"Either way, you're leaving, so you might as well get your-" Roy started to say but stopped when Dumbledore's hand raised up to stop him.

"No need for that," was all he said before he again muttered something that was again something Ed couldn't understand, and then, Ed's one suitcase came flying through the door and stopped right in front of Dumbledore. If Al had his real body, his eyes would be as wide as dinner plates. '_Did that suitcase j-just f-fly here on i-it's own?!' _was what ran through Al's mind as he stared at Ed's suitcase. Al turned his 'head' to look at his brother. Ed's expression was similar, but it looked more...knowing. Al was going to have to get used to this 'magic' so he won't act all surprised at every un-scientific thing that happens. And for some reason, Al felt that stuff like this will happen a lot. You have no idea, Al...

"So, are we ready to go?" asked Dumbledore. The two brothers looked at each other, and nodded their heads.

"Good, now come over and each of you come to hold onto one of my arms, we are going to do something what wizards call Apparition, which is a way we transport our selves ," explained Dumbledore, but it didn't help the two brothers. _'How can you do that? This just goes against all the logics of science that I grew up to know and memorize, but I have a feeling this will happen alot' _was what Ed thought while doing what Dumbledore requested.

"You might feel lightheaded, but it won't take long," warned Dumbledore. And right after he said that, Ed felt like he was being yanked through a_ very _narrow tube. Even though Dumbledore said it would be a few seconds, Ed thought it was more like a few minutes. He knew Al probably wouldn't feel anything since he didn't have a body. Yet _another _reminder about the Stone; how long will Al have to live in that empty suit of armor? Hopefully soon as possible. But looking at his current situation, 'soon as possible' might not be the correct answer. After what seemed like minutes, the Elric brothers were no longer in Central. Ed and Al looked around and they found themselves on a street that was lined with small shops.

"This is Hogsmeade, a place where students-third year and higher-come to," explained Dumbledore as he waved his arm, gesturing toward the small shops. "They're not open yet since the school year has not started," continued Dumbledore, who began to walk. After a few minutes,

"And this," said Dumbldore, who nodded his head in front of him, "is Hogwarts." When Ed looked at the building...words can't describe exactly what he felt. Only one word came out of Ed's mouth: "Wow." The school turned out to be a medieval looking castle which made the church he saw in Liore look like a small apartment. And with the sun setting from behind the castle, Ed thought it looked like it was something out of a children's fantasy book. Dumbledore smiled at Ed's reaction, hoping he'd liked it.

"Come, let's get you settled in before the students come in," said Dumbledore, who started walking towards the castle once again. Ed and Al immediately followed. While walking, Ed still had this nagging thought in his head: How will Al fit in if he's a suit of armor? But once Ed got _inside _the castle, he was even more captivated than he was when he saw the outside. While they were walking to where they would stay, Ed and Al constantly bumped into things since they were looking at everything that passed by. But the thing that surprised Ed and Al the most was the paintings. As they were walking up the stairs, Ed heard a "Hello, how are you?". Ed stopped and he looked around and to his surprise, the _painting _said hello to him. He just gave the painting a smile and a wave while saying, "Fine, just fine." Seeing that Dumbledore and Al were ahead of him, Ed ran to catch up to him, leaving the painting confused on why Ed was scared to talk to him. "Was it something I said?" was what the painting said after Ed left.

After a few more minutes of walking around, the three reached a room which was reveiled to be their classroom that they will teach in. Ed and Al got to walked around and place what they brought for the class in the room. Once that was finished, they went to the room that they will stay in for the school year. It was a simple two bed room with a view of a lake that had pitch black waters. _Note to self: Don't swim in that lake. _Ed placed his suitcase on one of the beds and turned to look at Dumbldore.

"Thanks for the tour, but I still have a few questions," said Ed, getting straight to the point. Dumbledore nodded, telling Ed to ask away.

"First, will I have to wear...?" Ed said, gesturing to the Headmaster's attire. Dumbledore shook his head and gave a small chuckle.

"No, you don not have to wear this," answered Dumbledore, who was just smiling now.

"Okay, next question, this is about how Al..."Ed trailed off, hoping that Dumbledore understood what he asked.

"Alphonse won't be able to attend the Sorting in the Main Hall, but by the end of the night, the problem will be solved," replied Dumbledore, who gestured to Ed to follow him but told Al that he had stay in the room, Ed gave Al an apologetic look, and followed Dumbledore out of the room. As Ed was walking down the stairs, he was thinking about what Dumbledore said. _'What the hell does he mean by 'the problem will be solved?' _was what Ed thought while he walking along side Dumbledore, his famine making his head feel light. Ed was _very _hungry. When Ed reached the Main Hall with Dumbledore, he saw that the ceiling was _missing. _But Dumbledore explained that it was an enchantment which made the ceiling look like the night sky. When Ed and Dumbledore reached the long table at the end of the room, which was where the teachers ate during the Sorting. He saw that all the teachers were there already except for three empty chairs, which two of them were for Dumbledore and Ed. Ed couldn't figure out who owned the other. But before Ed took his seat between a man with black shoulder length and black eyes and a rather tall man where you couldn't tell where his hair ended and his beard started, Dumbledore told Ed that he had to run a small errand before the Sorting started.

"I won't take long, and the students will arrive shortly," reassured Dumbledore, and he took off. When Ed took his seat he felt a bit self conscious since most teachers were staring at him. Then the teacher that was at his right held out his large hand and and Ed shook it.

"Hiya, I'm Rubius Hagrid, but you can call me Hagrid, I'm the 'Care of Magical Creatures' professor," introduced Hagrid. Once Hagrid let go of Ed's hand, Ed massaged his hand since it slightly hurt since Hagrid had a firm grip. After a few moments of silence, the students finally came in and sat down at their designated long tables which had the banner of their class animal. Ed saw that there were four animals: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake. '_How weird...' _Ed thought as he examined everything else.

* * *

While the students took their seats at house tables, they noticed that there were two new teachers this year. One of them was a woman who was wearing all pink and looked toad-like. Harry recognized her to be Dolores Umbridge, the woman he saw at his hearing a while ago. The other one Harry saw was the man he saw in the newspaper, Edward Elric. Harry saw that a majority of the female students paid more attention to Edward, including Hermione. Ron seemed to notice this too, and he didn't like that Hermione was fond of him.

"What's so special about this Elric character?" asked Ron, who was giving Edward a slight glare. _Ooo, someone's jealous... _Harry caught Ron's tone of voice and smiled at him.

"Well, let's see, he's handsome, intelligent, and he's the youngest professor we've had so far-"explained Harry, using his fingers to count the reasons but stopped and smiled when he saw that Ron was glaring at him.

"It was rhetorical, Harry," said Ron, turning to see that Hermione was too busy to hear since she was with Ginny, giggling about the new Alchemy teacher. First Hermione, _now _Ginny? Ron really disliked Edward _now_.

* * *

_Deception: _I hope the length of this chapter makes up for last chapter, and for those who reviewed get pie instead of cookies! -gives out pie- It can be any flavor you want, this pie is magical ^^

_Ed: _-tied up- W-what are you going to do with me?!

_Deception_: -evil smirk- You'll see...

_Ed_: -gulp- O.O

_Deception_: Goodbye and have a great day/ night/ whenever you read this! -waves-

(_Question of the Chapter: _What is the name of Harry's second broomstick? The person to answer right gets a special mention in my fourth chapter. _Please review!)_


	4. Chapter 4

Deception: -wearing Ed's coat- Welcome to chapter number Vexen (aka. number 4) of 'The Basics of Alchemy' -waves- And an apology goes out to 'Chasingyesterday' for not putting her name in my third chapter, so sorry Yesterday-chan!

_Ed: _Why do I have to wear this mini-skirt Deception-chan? -trying to make skirt longer-

_Deception: _'Cause I said so, and that it's your punishment for eating all the cookies! Now read your line! -gives index card-

_Ed: _-sighs and takes card- We would like to thank 'Kage Hakari', 'xX-WaterLilly-Xx', 'Shibo26', 'ZeroPanda', 'blackhawk68', 'blindhobos', 'Hina Kita', 'DonutMastr', '777angeloflove' , 'ShanaEdward', and 'Trudyann B. -formerly weirdIT-' for answering correctly last chapters question -takes breath- (Alot of people this time o.o)

_Deception: _And...? -pokes Ed's head-

_Ed: _Deception-chan does not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist, as much as she wishes...

* * *

When Harry and Ron sat down at their House table, Harry was listening to Ron rant about how all the girls are _sooo _fond of Professor Elric. The ranting included a few poor impersonations of some first year girl squealing at the mention of Edward Elric. Harry found those the most amusing. Around five minutes of this Ron-ranting, Harry zoned out and got lost in his thoughts. _'I wonder what's taking the professor so long," _Harry thought, looking to see that the Headmasters' chair was still empty. Turning his head back, Harry caught the eye of Cho Chang, a sixth-year Ravenclaw. Harry smiled at her, which Cho returned. Then Cho mouthed a 'hello' to Harry which Harry obviously returned.

"Hey Harry...Harry_...Harry! _Are you even listening to me?!" said an already irritated Ron as he waved a hand in front of Harry's face. Way to ruin a moment Ron...

"Huh?" was all Harry responded with when he turned to look at his best friend. Just when Ron was about to scold Harry, he noticed the person Harry was paying attention to and a sly smile came across his face.

"Oh, I see, you and that Ravenclaw; she's pretty cute, I see why you fancy her," said Ron, slightly nudging Harry with his elbow. Ron knew how Harry liked Cho just as much as Harry knew that Ron liked Hermione. Harry tried to hide his blush, but failed miserably. This made Ron laugh at his friends embarrassment. This made Ron forget about Edward, but not for long.

* * *

Ed was shifting uncomfortably in his chair as most of the teachers were staring at him. _'Am I that interesting to look at!?' _thought Ed angrily, trying to not make eye contact with any of the teachers. If only Al were here...

When all the students walked in, Ed noticed that a lot of the female students were looking at him while blushing and giggling. This made Ed's head tilt slightly, while also annoying him. Ed never really had any female admirers, except for a few times back in Amestris when some random girls came up to him and asked for his autograph. _'What am I, the eight wonder of the world?' _thought Ed as he looked to see that the girls were still giving him brief glances while laughing. He then noticed a red-head giving him a glare. For some reason, Ed found this comforting. _'At least not everybody thinks I'm all that special' _thought Ed as he smiled to himself. Trying to entertain himself, Ed saw that it's been quite a while since Dumbledore said he would be back.

"Hey, do you what's taking Dumbledore so long?" Ed asked the man who introduced himself as Hagrid. Promising Dumbledore that he wouldn't tell Ed, Hagrid had to come up with something.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Dumbledore won't be long," replied Hagrid, completely avoiding the question. He'll find out soon enough...

Ed faced forward again, suspecting something weird was going on. After another few minutes of pure boredom, Dumbledore emerged from a side door, having a slight smile on his face. Once he sat down on his designated chair, a whole bunch of young kids walked through the main entrance of the hall. _'These must be the newbies' _said Ed to himself in his mind, seeing that the kids that just walked in were gazing in amazement at how big the school is. But then Ed reminded himself that his first actions were just like the ones these kids were doing. Ed was acting like an eleven-year old...how weird. When the woman reached the end of the room with the students, she pulled out a _really _old-looking hat and placed on a wooden stool. Everyone was silent. _'Are we just going to stare at the hat so it can grow even more old?' _thought Ed as he too was staring at the wizard's hat. All of a sudden, it started to sing. _Sing. _Ed gave a small jump when the hat started to sing. I mean, how would you feel if all of a sudden, a _hat sang _to you? After a minute or so of singing, the hat stopped and everyone clapped. Ed decided to clap as well, it's only polite. _'Talking paintings, singing hats, what's next?!' _asked Ed in his head as the woman announced the sorting will begin. She then pulled out a long roll of parchment and began to read off a list of names alphabetically. After The Sorting was done with, Dumbledore stood up and walked to the podium and began his welcome speech.

"Good evening, my students, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. This year we will have two new professors: Ms. Dolores Umbridge for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore paused for applause; there wasn't any. "And Mr. Edward Elric for our new subject Alchemy," said Dumbledore, but barely anyone heard him since nearly every girl were clapping for him. Ed just sat there, dumbfounded as to why so many girls liked him. Once the applause died down, Dumbledore continued his speech. "And as usual, our Caretaker Mr. Filch will like to remind-" Dumbledore would've continued when all of sudden he heard Umbridge clear her throat. Dumbledore and the rest of people in the room looked at her. Umbridge then stood up and proceeded towards the podium while making a mini-speech.

"Thank your, Headmaster Dumbledore, for such welcoming words of wisdom," Umbridge began, giving Dumbledore a small smile. Then she turned her head towards the students to continue her speech. "And it's so wonderful to see all your bright smiles and I'm sure that we'll become very good friends," she said, pausing to smile at the students. The students weren't smiling back. They could already tell she was trouble for the school, especially Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be very valuable. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this school; progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. We must keep the old traditions and perfect them, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." Once she finished saying what she wanted to say, she then walked back to her seat, while everyone clapped. The students didn't clap very enthusiastically, and who could blame them. As she walked over to sit down, Ed was staring at her outfit. _'How can someone wear so much pink, and who does she think she is just interrupting the Dumbledore like that?!' _Ed guessed she was the threat Dumbledore was talking about a week or so earlier.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for that enlightening speech," complimented Dumbledore, who seemed unaware of the hidden meaning of Umbridge's speech. Then Dumbledore continued his welcome speech with no interruptions, thank goodness. "Now, let us enjoy now indulge ourselves in this wonderful feast," was what Dumbledore said before all the food appeared on the golden plates. When all the food appeared where Ed sat, we'll let's just say it was very hard to remember his manners. Once Ed finished eating, he slightly slouched back into his seat, wondering when he ate so much at one time. After all the students finished eating, Dumbledore dismissed everyone to their dorms. When Ed sat up to walked back to his room, Dumbledore came up to him.

"Oh, Ed, there's something there waiting for you, I suggest you go there before you head up to your room," said Dumbledore before leaving to his office_. 'He just likes confuse me, doesn't he?' _thought Ed before heading towards his classroom. When Ed opened the door, he found the room to be dark. When he lighted the candles so he could see the entire room, he saw someone else was in the room. The person had his back turned to him, but Ed would've sworn he heard him say,"...Brother..."

"Al...?" Ed asked, walking up to the person. When the person turned around, Ed's heart literally skipped a beat.

"...Brother...it's me, Alphonse," mumbled the person. Ed couldn't believe it; is that person really Al, his little brother Al? He looked so much like the Al he remembered from the pictures; and he sounded so much like him. Next thing Ed knew, Al hugged him tightly, muttering, "Brother" over and over again; he then felt his shoulder getting wet. When reality struck Ed, he quickly put his arms around Al, quickly wetting his brothers shoulder, something Ed thought he wouldn't do in ages. Ed was hugging his brother for the first time in six years, Ed was able to feel his brother's skin for the first time in six years, and Ed was able to cry with his brother for the first time in six years. Ed's rarely cried, if ever; he was never the one to show his emotions. But at this moment, he let out all he was bottling up just spill out of him. Once the tears have let up, Ed got a good look of his brother. He looked almost exactly like Ed thought he would. Brown hair, grey eyes, face just like their mother's. _'Oh mom, I wish you were still alive' _thought Ed as he looked at his brother. The two didn't really say much, since there was nothing much to say.

"Let's go up to our room, Al, we've got a big day ahead of us," Ed suggested, eyes red from crying. Al nodded in agreement, eyes also red. Ed then led Al out of the room and went up to their dorm. Once they got up to their room, Ed undressed himself to his sleepwear. Al followed Ed's actions, still surprised about his new body.

"Umm, Brother?" said Al when he sat down on his bed.

"Yeah, Al?" asked Ed, who sat down nest him.

"Dumbledore enchanted me so I could have my body, and even though it looks like I have a body, it still feels like I have a suit of armor on the inside, that's the only catch about this," said Al, telling Ed what Dumbledore told Al to tell him. _'So this is what Dumbledore meant by 'I'll take care of it'...' _thought Ed.

"Well, as long as you're not a suit of armor, it's not that bad, but can you sleep?" asked Ed, knowing that Al couldn't sleep. Al shook his head.

"No, Dumbledore said I couldn't, but there's nothing else to do, so why not give it a try?" said Al, who got up and headed to his bed. He then lifted the covers and slipped underneath them.

"Sweet dreams, Brother," said Al, who closed his eyes, attempting to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Al," replied Ed, who was getting under the covers and closed his eyes also. Sleep will be _very _hard to come by...

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading to their first class of the year, which is Alchemy, Hermione's _now _favorite subject. As they headed to class, Hermione was chatting away with Pavarti Patil, a fellow Gryffindor, about the teacher. And Harry could've sworn he heard _'Elric Fanclub'_pass by his ears. He knew Ron heard it too, since his eye twitched slightly at the phrase. Ron has been grumpy ever since they left Sirius's house. It wasn't a mystery to Harry as to the reason why. Ron was officialy _jealous. _As for Harry, well, he didn't see that Cho took an interest in Professor Elric, at least, not _yet. _As they came through the door, Harry and Ron noticed that the majority of female students took a seat near the _front _of the classroom. Jeez, could they not be any more obvious? One of the other female Gryffindors waved Hermione and Pavarti over to two empty seats. The girls immediately went over, leaving Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron (more Ron than Harry) decided to sit in back, to avoid being near the professor.

After a few minutes of chatter, Professor Elric and another person walked in to the room. The class immediately became silent, since the look on the Professor's face said to not talk. But what Harry noticed was that the professor was a little on the _short _side. Okay, _a lot _on the short side. Harry noticed this now since when he first saw him he was sitting down. When the professor reached the end of the room where the chalkboard is, he picked up a piece of chalk and wrote '_Defensive Alchemy' _on it. He set the chalk down and looked at his class.

"Welcome class, to your very first Defensive Alchemy class, as you may know, my name is Edward Elric, but you may call me Ed if you wish," introduced Ed, looking at his class. Harry saw that Ed wasn't smiling; he looked like he would much rather be somewhere else. Or maybe he had something _way _more important to do. You have no idea, Harry...

"And this is my younger brother, Alphonse Elric, but you may call him Al," said Ed, gesturing to said brother. Al then waved his hand and muttered a _'_Hello.' The brother looked uncomfortable yet he still gave the class a smile, which didn't looked forced. This Alphonse seemed like a nice person to Harry. Not like his brother who still wore that frown. Ed was kinda like Snape when it came to smiling, something he rarely to never does.

"Now that we're done with the formalities, who here can tell me what 'Equivalent Exchange' means?" asked Ed, seeing if they knew at least _that _much. A few people raised their hands, which made Ed make a small smile. Ed called on a Gryffindor male, which Harry recognized to be Dean Thomas.

"Isn't that 'One cannot anything without giving something of equal value up'?" asked Dean, hoping he didn't get it wrong. Ed nodded and gave him a smile, or more of a smirk than smile.

"Yeah, that's basically it, but why don't recite the quote for the class Al?" asked Ed, looking at his brother.

"Okay Brother; 'Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost'" recited Al.

"Thanks, Al; but what the boy over there said summed it up," said Ed, looking at the boy. Harry didn't know that Dean knew about Alchemy, but then again, Harry hadn't asked him about it. When Ed was about to start up again, a Ravenclaw raised her hand. Ed then called on her. One of the students then asked for a demonstration of Alchemy. Ed and Al looked at each other and nodded. Ed then scanned the class and called Harry up. Confused, Harry came up to the front.

"What's your name, sir?" asked Ed.

"Harry Potter," replied Harry.

"Would you mind taking your glasses off, Mr. Potter?" asked Ed. More confused, Harry took them off and gave them to the professor. After a few moments, Harry heard a loud _'crack' _sound and few people gasping. Harry looked behind and could barely make out a tiny broken heap that looked like his glasses...or at least what they _used _to look like. _'Why did he break my glasses? That was my only pair!' _thought Harry angrily. But before Harry could say anything, he heard a clap and then saw a bright light. Everyone then gasped in amazement to what they saw. Harry's glasses were back to normal, no incantations or wands needed. Ed then gave Harry back his glasses and thanked him for participating.

"Your welcome, professor," Harry replied, walking back to his seat. When Harry sat down, he took his glasses off to examine them. Then a Ravenclaw girl raised her hand, which Ed called on.

"I was just wondering, isn't Alchemy just like Transfiguration? I mean both subjects teach you to turn one thing into another," asked the girl. Ed just took in a deep breath and tried to hide his glare.

"No, Alchemy is a science, _not _magic; and with magic, there is no Equivalent Exchange; with Alchemy you break something down to it's most basic elements and turn it into somethings else within the principles of Equivalent Exchange. There are no wands or incantations in Alchemy. It's just understanding the science behind everything," Ed explained, his voice rising as he continued to speak, but not to the extent of yelling. The girl flushed at her ignorance. Harry made a mental note not to show his wand in this class. No one wants to be on a teacher's bad side.

"Any more questions?" asked Ed, scanning the class.

"Good; as I was saying; magic and Alchemy do _have one _thing in common: they have forbidden 'territory'. I heard that magical community has three spells called 'The Unforgivable Curses' can someone explain to me what they are?" asked Ed. The majority of the class raised their hands, Harry kept his down. Ed then called on Seamus Finnigan, one of Harry's friends, or he _used_ to be Harry's friend.

"The Cruciatus Curse, which inflicts unbearable pain on someone; The Imperius Curse, which makes the victim do whatever the spell caster says; and the...well..." Seamus trailed off on the end, and looked down.

"And?" asked Ed, looking at Seamus. Seeing as Seamus can't answer the last one, Ed called out to see if anyone wanted to finish. No one raised their hand. After a few awkward moments, Harry raised his hand. Ed then called on Harry.

"The Killing Curse..." said Harry, not looking down like Seamus. Harry saw that Ed and Al flinched at the word 'killing'. But then again, who wouldn't?

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," said Ed. Harry could tell Ed was thinking if something else, since his eyes looked distant. But Ed continued on with his class as if nothing happened.

"Now with Alchemy, we have something called 'Human Transmutation'; which is basically bringing some one back from the grave," said Ed, who used his left arm to grab onto his right arm, as if it was some kind of reminder. Ed then continued with his teaching.

"No one has performed a successful Human Transmutation; scientists haven't been able to figure out what the missing element is to complete it. But there is one thing that could help perform one: The Philosopher's Stone." When Harry heard 'Philosopher's Stone' he remembered his first year at Hogwarts, when he had what Ed was talking about right in his pocket.

"With the Stone, you can ignore Equivalent Exchange and do many things with it, such as turn lead into gold, and bring someone back that you cared about," explained Ed, who's expression changed when he said the last part. '_I wonder why the professor and his brother are so emotional when it comes to that topic?' _thought Harry, seeing that Ed and Al both had sadness on their faces. If only you knew Harry...

"Does anyone have any questions so far?" asked Ed. No one did.

"Now a part of this class will also be physical, such as self defense. Anyone ever participated in Martial Arts?" asked Ed. Only six people raised their hands. Ed shook his head, sighing.

"Well, for the curriculum, we'll be alternating days between Alchemy and Self Defense. Tomorrow we'll be out in a field, learning the basics of defensive moves. Wear comfortable clothing." said Ed, ignoring the girls' groaning at this. One of the girls then raised her hand.

"Yes?" asked Ed, wary about what he was about to hear.

"Do we have to? I mean what are the chances of us actually having to use defensive moves?" asked the girl with a slight whiny tone. Ed now looked annoyed with girl.

"More than you could imagine," answered Ed in an angry tone. Ed then turned to the class.

"Now let me make this _very _clear; Dumbledore asked me to _specifically _teach you Alchemy _and_Self Defense. The chances are even greater now since I hear your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will not help you with spells. Dumbledore wants you prepared for anything and everything that happens. What if some dark wizard comes through right now and you don't have your wands, what are you going to do? Cower in fear? Join him or her? Well, is anyone going to answer?" said Ed, giving the entire class a glare.

"Brother, go easy in them," said Al, finally speaking up. Ed simply scoffed.

"They should know the reality of this world, otherwise, this class would be useless them," said Ed, turning to the chalkboard. He then picked up the chalk and wrote down the first assignment.

"Now, for your first assignment, you will be handed a Periodic Table of the Elements, which you will be required to memorize the majority of the solid elements for the test you will have on Friday." When the students heard 'test' they groaned, which Ed ignored. Al then passed out laminated Periodic Table of the Elements charts to every students.

"You will refer to this table for next few weeks, so keep it somewhere safe, since I will not provide extras," explained Ed when Al finished passing them out.

"Now before class ends, let me remind you to wear something comfortable tomorrow; you are dismissed," said Ed. The class promptly left, making sure not to leave their charts behind.

"He is such an illuminating teacher!" said Hermione when she joined up with Harry and Ron. Ron rolled his eyes at this statement, muttering to himself.

"What's with you, Ron?" asked Hermione, irritated that he didn't agree.

"Nothing that concerns you Hermione," replied Ron, who started to walk ahead of the three. Hermione then went after Ron, who started to argue with him. Harry looked the two warily, wondering when they _don't _argue with each other. What Ron said could've be farther from the truth.

* * *

_Deception: _Wow, over 4,000 words this time! I'm impressed! This is a call for...

_Ed: _Oh, no; not...-covers head-

_Deception: _Confetti! -throws confetti in the air-

_Ed: _-gets covered in confetti- Ugh...why me?

_Deception: _Aww, Ed get in the spirit -helps brush confetti off-

_Ed: _I don't have to... -shakes confetti off-

_Deception: _-brushes confetti off herself- Will you at least say bye to good readers? -puppy dog eyes-

_Ed: _...fine...

_Deception: _Yay! -hugs Ed-

_Ed: _-blushes-

_Deception and Ed: _Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whenever you read this! -waves-

(Okay, this chapter's question is extra hard, but the first one to answer all three correctly will be able to request something for the story, it can be anything you want, well almost anything. Okay the question is 'What does S.P.E.W, O.W.L, and N.E.W.T stand for?' Check my profile to see who answers it correctly. I'll PM you if you got all three answers right. Good Luck!)


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